001preemptive. >> All right, >> we can call the meeting order. It's now 6:04 um at the December 11th meeting. Uh and we can rise to the pledge of allegiance, please. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Quick little roll call for our 10. >> I know everybody's here. Kate Boprell, Megan Wixs, >> Kathy Grant, Ara Kawara, >> Valerie Mosciano, >> Suzanne Miller, >> Rachel Ricard, >> also present, Scott Federer, and Amy STO. >> I will say our mission statement. The volunt board of education's mission is to provide our students the skills essential to reach their highest potential in a civic in a safe environment for learning as they aspire to become
002responsible, respectful, and civic-minded members of society. We commit to help educate, challenge, and inspire each child to excel as lifelong learners who can adapt constructively in an everchanging multicultural and technological world. You're strong, aren't you? I'm not having an episode on live TV. We're all good. So, um, we should have a pretty efficient meeting tonight. I think it's, um, we've got the highlights are including the a little intro of the budget. So that's probably probably the most highlight. But um other than that, we don't have any um public comment or guests. So uh we can move along to the con consent agenda. >> We're all comfortable with that. Do we have a motion to um approve it as presented? Second. >> Second. All in favor? >> Any oppos? Heard. Motion passes. Okay, we'll move on
003to the reports and updates starting. >> All right, so uh transportation update is quick today. Um basically, if you know anyone who is interested in becoming a bus or van driver, sign them up. We're we're still short. Uh we're making it work, but we're short. And um you can always use the help I know >> questions. two positions >> as many as you >> want. Give me six people. Hire six people. >> Okay. >> We don't need six, but I'll keep them on the back burner. >> Um, so I know Amy probably talked about this, but the coral concert was too darn cute. Kindergarten through through third graders are just adorable. And they do such a great job up there. And that's just, you know, like holiday season kids make it, you know, and so
004and Megan just said it before, uh, the way they were dressed bells and hats and a song >> and it's a packed house. It's so well run. I loved at the end, so I I had not seen this before. At the end of each grade level, if you've never been, they invite the parents up of that grade level of kids to come up to the front >> before they move to the next group cuz everyone I if you don't do that, they're just fighting for the seats >> and and it's just so smart. So really well done. Kudos. >> Yeah, even having that row so that the parents can sit up there. I mean, that's just that's like >> I think I saw that from our music. So smart, but just it was a lot
005of fun. So >> Amanda does an amazing job in the whole step, but it was it's it's a lot of work, right? Coring just all those little little machine. I mean, I didn't even see the kindergartener. You posted the pictures of the kids. I'm like, how did they I dropped her off at the door and the next thing I know, she's up there, but pictures were taken. I'm like, how did all that just happen? And I'm just sitting here. >> It's really kudos to you. Did a fantastic job. I and I was mentioning it to Scott earlier that um I I wasn't there and it was my first year not being there and I remember I saw a video. I was like, "Oh my gosh, like so so cute. I'm so sad I missed it."
006But when I would post things to my home page, people in the community, you know, that grandparents or whatever, they're just so overwhelmed with joy of just seeing that one thing. And I was like I I had invited a few different people I knew in town that would enjoy it, you know, and they were so grateful to be invited and all that stuff. And we were saying that, you know, how cool would that be if we, you know, just brought the senior center or just people have the invitation up at the senior center and just make it a little bit more of a like, you know, a um engagement with the whole community because it's such a beautiful thing, you know, >> separate section for them to see >> escorted by the older kids on
007there. So >> now you know society kids need their hours, right? >> Hours. Everybody needs hours all the time. >> Even the high school even high schoolers need hours pretty soon. >> It was a lot of fun. So um just let you know school calendar is coming up probably January, early February. Um Amy and I have been chatting. We had a really good conversation today about some just how to make it work. Um the the challenge of a K8 sending district to eight high schools is you're not going to match eight high schools. So it's about how you manage that. Looking at NFA's calendar is the first one we have and NFA's calendar. We were acknowledging they do a nice thing. They are I don't know if they always do it. Erica >> Thank you
008by the way. I haven't looked at it yet. Appreciate you. >> They they're off Wednesday Thanksgiving. Oh, you always are. Yeah. Okay. So, >> yeah, we did have the last handful of years. >> That's pretty nice. I can't imagine anyone have a problem with that. >> It's nice. >> Um, but we have to work it out. Uh, we have to, you know, try to see what Griswald is and see what Wheeler is. And I don't know we can match anybody try to match those three the best we can, but after that pop, but we're going to come back to you with a few options, some iterations and uh wrap that up. All right, that's coming down the pipe. Um, a budget I'll talk about uh and do business. Okay, so I'll skip that for now.
009And I'm sorry about this. Now the second in a row. Um February 12th is our board meeting. And I don't know how I skipped missed this, but I'm in Nashville for the superintendence conference. >> I'm so sorry for you. >> So I know I know >> I feel very badly about this. >> I did ask them to move it to volunteer the national. >> We can do that too. I'll get a vendor. We'll be good >> working on budgets. What that? >> No one will mind. No one will mind. >> Offsite allin-one. >> Well, staying at the hotel operated, >> especially the G. It's a famous >> Never been. >> It's a very hotel, but um >> so if your calendars can align, if we can move it to I don't want to miss meetings
010ever, so I do my best to never do that. If we're able to move it to the 19th, if not, I will chime in. um virtually, but I would prefer to be here. Um is the 19th Bible? >> It was okay for me. >> It's fine. >> I'll give you a dollar. >> We don't need all of us, right? >> No. I mean, technically, no. I feel bad. >> That's our uh that's our February breaks. We have the entire week off. >> Oh, no. We don't No, no, Mr. Feder. We do not have the whole week. >> Sorry. >> Yeah, it is. >> So, Brian, I may be away, but >> Okay. >> Are you all right if we do it? >> I'm fine. I can I could probably switch it around. >> I'll send
011you a Zoom link. I could work too. >> Is everyone else okay though? Is there >> Can we get a motion to to officially do it? Then we'll have and just you know if there's a calendar change the board has to adopt a calendar change. That's my experience anyway. >> All in favor? I >> thank you guys very much. Uh that's all I have for now and I'll do um further further chatting a little >> I'm just going to give one update about high school. So um we've had actually three kids apply so far to Leard um for like not early acceptance but they started their process by December 1. So, those kids have gotten it in um and if they're selected for an interview, they'll go over Christmas vacation leave and they'll go interview
012there um sometime around that time frame and they should know then by January if they get accepted. So, they do the rolling admission but they encouraged all of them like you really want to come here and then you go to initial start. So, >> programm Yeah. Yeah. So, I mean hopefully they the kids seem those three seem like they don't want to go there. Um and then really right now to top heavy for us is NFA um this year. So it fluctuates every year. This year happens to be an NFA year um where a lot of kids are wanting to go middle um art club and art club and who went on that trip. There's art club and what was art club? >> Chorus maybe went to see Allison winter. Allison NFA. So that sparked
013a lot of interest because it was a really great performance. So they had went they invited us to come. So taken them um to go see it. So that just helps with kids like in the selection process going to these schools and seeing different things that they do um >> yeah getting comfortable on property >> and then going on campus. Yeah. Going on campus. So um >> today the best day of the year snowflake shop. I mean Rachel worked all day at snowflake shop. She was a free employee today all day wrapping gifts. Lots of gifts. So, it was really a highlight. That's kudos to PTO because that is a really well-run event that they do. So, um we appreciate the phone calls for that. And >> yeah, bring them out. >> Yep. Yep. So,
014well, >> other than that, that's it for probably your bags and send them to us. But >> no other questions. That's >> sports kicking off, right? went tonight at home. >> Girls were at Lisbon and boys were home. Longest season of our lives back in >> February. Did get a little rowdy in my own head on the way home. >> All right. Okay. All right. Sorry. Now you do what? So, um, >> but yeah, there it's it's off to a good start. It's just the first week, second week. >> Um, okay. So, that's it for Mrs. Saltto and um, we got Lloyd's report in our packet. So any questions to chair or move on to old business policy update for 5142 school safety. This is our second reading. So, um, anybody had any further review
015questions for it at this point? Any discussion? We were fairly comfortable with it. I don't follow any questions about anybody. >> I think we just had to do a second reading. So, I'm comfortable with making a motion on that one. >> Second. Second. All in favor? >> Just want to point out that that removes two. It was like three policies combined into one. >> Correct. >> It's just removing two other policies. >> Do we have to put that in the motion? >> Yes. >> I think it would be what? So, um, we're approving 5142, school safety preparation, response, and afteraction. Um, this replaces and removes policies on crisis management plan and 6114 emergencies and disaster prepar. Okay, so we got our motion second. All in favor? I opposed none. So, new business. Um, we have
016policy updates on first reading for 5131 spot 911, which is schoolman. This is we reviewed this one back in 2024, I believe. Um, but so this is good to revisit verse reading. I don't think we had too many questions on it in our initial review, but if you have anything that stood out or you know as you're kind of reviewing it first reading, come back to us. >> Oh, new writer that we have restorative practices. That's in there somewhere. >> I believe that was in there. >> I think we have to go to a second reading. Anyone please? Yeah. >> Y >> said there's the question unless they're >> restorative what is it called? >> Restorative practices something >> the policy remained the same. It was the regulation that got shrunk from 12 pages down
017to two or three. >> It's just the reg. So the policy remains the same. the board here in town regulations. >> They they have, but yeah, I think I'll check the policy >> to make sure >> it's always been >> those are the ones that are >> and then it's whether you want to policy, >> right? if you want to verbatim take that to policy or something a little bit more unique. We >> were talking it was interesting we were at the cave conference and that's something I didn't actually bring up but I can make it you know just a small update on that. That was great. Kathy and Sue and Rachel and Scott and I all went to we had like the strongest volunte um since I've been on the board and it was
018it was fun to kind of just um numbers. >> Yeah, it was a good event and obviously you could introduce Scott to a lot of the colleagues and meet you know through him meeting them then you meet them and like the superintendent at Ledger was there and wanted to introduce himself and all that stuff. So that was great. Um and um no but it was we attended a policy breakout session and it's just I go to them every year and I'm like you learn something completely new every year and just people's opinions on it and um just the frequency of updating them and whether you even store your policies with your regulations if they're separate you know like you put them together. I would just think you put them together because you're not no we
019separate them completely. I was like, you know, like it's people's matter of opinions, but um that was just an aside on regulations for and um obviously there's there's things that policy really just is such a strong point of what we do as a board and and and updating them and keeping current and all that thing all the good things about it. Um, but it's just interesting about how many things that come up and don't have a policy yet. Like using cell phone policy is like that's just a hot button thing that they all talk about and it's like, you know, yeah, we have it just depends on what type of district you have and what they have, you know, whether they're going to give you one or regulate, but they're clearly not going to regulate.
020But so many schools have created one and done away with one or changed it four times and I know the bullying term is now being used anymore. >> Behavior something >> that'll change it, >> right? I'm sure they'll change again, but I think it is more like that >> because we put that on our we change on our website and >> it just takes time to change. But that's just >> Mhm. >> Like things like that are just everywhere and they have to go anyway. >> Yeah. Redo it. Yeah. You have some annual bullying say bullying anymore, >> right? Interesting. >> Yeah. >> All right. Well, that's the that's the first reading. Is there anything that we want to send out just specifically? is the only thing is safe to have the service where we
021put in you want to have at least one ser >> that's the uh that's the allergy management >> yeah on that one how many uh what does it take for us to have more than one person like that in the kitchen you know it says must always have one but if we don't >> have you have to have somebody serves you in the That's >> we don't we wouldn't need more than that. >> Oh, but if somebody's out, what would we do? >> We technically have employs frozen pizza. >> Yeah. Or like if we get a sub atast backup plan for out. >> Yeah. Yeah. Last time too. Yeah, >> that's fine. Just so there's a backup plan that certified this out. >> Yeah. Yeah, I know the students with special healthcare need that that
022particular one discussion, but yeah, you can kind of open up if there's any questions to, you know, to report, but you can also always just if you think of something as you're reading, email me and Megan too because we're kind of working on it. Yeah. Okay. And then I mean I think we're good on that. And then the resignation removal of board officers. That's that's pretty straightforward. >> Resign from the board or from >> that's different. is only if this is this is specific. You don't have no power to remove a board member. >> Yeah. >> You only have the power you only have the power to remove a chair or vice chair or secretary. You know, that's all this policy is. >> And that's why we went to people, you know, because we member
023board and that person not at all. It became a real problem. She would not resign and would not there was no way. You still have no way to have someone >> there's I don't know if you do the three in a row. >> I know some other committees in town that like the right community does >> could revise the policy. I know. >> You guys ready? >> I'm just dragging you along here so you can calm stuff about budget. We're all good. >> All right. Um All right. So, we're good with policy for second reading. Again, just as anything along think of something, >> um we will move to the budget discussion number. >> So, I just have some topics I want to just go over and and prep you for where we're going to
024be going. So when I do when I do a budget, I I do everything I can to leave the money what I call on the floor. That's in the classrooms, in the school, in front of kids. That's that's priority. So if you build a little concentric circle, that's priority. Everything else in the outside. The biggest place to identify savings is usually operations. It's in involves savings that don't harm. That's what you look for. So some key areas uh transportation is always a topic for that. How do we do transportation just as well but for less less expense? We see what we can do. The second one is one I've been working on lately and this is administration of insurance plans. So we have two big insurance policies. We have our health insurance and then we
025have our liability in that level of insurance that's done through Kerma and we have a we have an insurance broker. I don't know if any of you know the insurance broker or not. Um they they handle our health insurance. Our health insurance is done through the state. That's what we do. The company I asked them this week um have they ever taken us out? I call it put us on the street to see if we're a better deal than a state plan. This is a normal process for my old neighbors. We do this every year now. Every year is a bit extensive. We only moved in 16 years. Maybe I moved four times in 16 years. And you move um when you can offer the same exact plan for a lesser money. Now in volunteering
026how this all works. So I'm at the infancy stage of of that. But we never want to remove insurance. That is that's not I don't ever watch this thing about insurance. It's not about that. That's not the administration of insurance. >> So, we currently spend $14,000 for a broker in health insurance. >> That's Wills. >> Okay. So, what do we get for I do this with everything. What do I get for $14,000? So, I'm in the middle of terminating that. Uh, we use Kerma and they get almost $50,000. Well, they what they insured. They're very different things. an insurance broker um is not the same as your property liability. That's a very different animal. Um then you have workers compensation. There's different things. That's a bigger deal, believe it or not, than a health insurance
027broker, especially if you're with the state. If you're with the state, state runs your insurance. Health broker doesn't really do the insur thesuring side, if that makes any sense. That's what they do. So, I'm trying to learn what we do here, what we've been doing. Honestly, is it worth $14,000? And if it is, great. If it's not, then I'll bring that back to the board during the process. Um, but it is it is a smart move to always consider everything. And people get very nervous when you talk about these things like, oh, you're looking to make a change. No, you're looking to see. When you review something does not mean you're looking for the purpose of changing anything. >> It would be remiss for a board of education to not do this. In fact, I
028have provided or I'm providing my old district with a full plan how they need to do theirs is far more complex to do that. Um but I this is how I operate. And one other thing I'll share with you, I do a line by line accounting. Um, I was actually showing Rachel a little bit of very minuscule of what I've started doing, just looking and seeing what we spend money on and then you have to apply a bang for your buck for the money. And um, you know, if you're buying purple crayons from uh, store A and store B is selling the same purple crayons for a penny cheaper, you should buy them from store B. Mhm. >> And the question I always ask is, are we even looking at other stores or do we
029just keep buying from the same store because that's what we do. That's a very normal thing for an institution to do. They get caught in a rut. They do what they've always done and that's the way systems operate. I'm not saying operates that way. That's the way systems operate. We do it that way because that's how we've done it. We've all heard that term before. Um, one of my first years teaching, we were at a school and the the the principal's entire premise of opening this brand new school when I started was called twatti busting. T w a d t tww a d i the way we always did it. >> Bust that. Don't do it because because of that reason. Now, that might be the best way, but you don't know that until you
030done the work. >> So, it's about doing the work. That's the premise of the insurance administration of insurance plans, not to change insurance. We don't you can't do that. You can't legally change health insurance anyway. So, it's just to see are we spending money the right way because if we're not, then I want to move it to where it belongs. That's in kids because kids ain't getting anything from the from an insurance broker. Doesn't work that way. But we might need the insurance broker and they might be the best deal in town. No idea. Nothing. I don't know this company. Nothing against them. It's nothing about the company. It's just about looking. That's all it is. And I say that over and over for people watching. So people free. New guy came in and wants
031to get rid of everything. That is absolutely not the case. It's easier to not get rid of anything. I hope I find that wow, you know, great situation, but not looking is not acceptable. That's the way I look at it. So that's one. Facilities, another big one. And uh we have potential grants on on the horizon. So, we're still learning more about those grants. One we know, I think I mentioned the other day, it's called the DRIP grant. >> That when we are slated to get $41,000, which is about what we need to deal with the library issue we're having. So, um, but nobody knows exactly anything about more about the drip grant other than there's a grant, right? >> They told you how much you're supposed to get and then they've one comment I
032saw that said you would not have to even submit anything until September 27th. >> No idea if that's true or not. We have not received anything else. Have you seen that again? I got nothing. We got nothing to this. There's another one we heard about which is specific to HBAC that might be coming out maybe when we're about in January >> or not. This is typical way of government operations. >> You know, they spit something out and disappears and maybe comes back around. >> Um but we're doing that. At the same time, when you do facilities, you're looking for all the other things that you can try to manage and save cost, but you got to be careful with facilities. Um, if you think about your own house, you can put off the roof only
033so long until the damage from the leak is worse than if you just replace the roof. So, that's a balance. I'm also planning on facilities to get under the skin of this solar situation we have here. We apparently have solar panels that I'm hearing things like they don't actually provide electricity to the school. Why do we have solar panels that don't provide electricity to our school? I don't answer. is rhetorical cuz there really can't be an answer for that question. I need to see what this is about and what we can do about it cuz we pay and not only do we have these things sitting on our property, we pay for them. >> Oh yeah, we do. That was a fun line. What do we do? >> So without getting >> these are the
034facilities issues that you try to deal with so we can find money there to then put where >> in the classrooms. That's and you're negotiating the one unit coming up and you have another one right behind it. You want to always make sure you're prepared for all these things. Budgeting. This is how you do it. Uh we talked about the business office. So that's that'll come down the pipe during the next budget cycle. I already told you about that. The next big topic after operations are is enrollment. It's an easy obvious thing you do when you do a budget. You have to look at your enrollment. Um so we do that. But the big enrollment that we know about that we will be dealing with in some capacity next year is the high school enrollment.
035So high school enrollment and high school cost are pretty much almost out of your control. You have a little bit of control, but not really. The kids you do not control. So we have 30 eighth graders, right? 30. And we have 20 12th graders. 12th graders leave. Eighth graders become nth graders. your your N goes up by 10 >> even at school. >> I was like not to mention the what 16 at tech school that now we won't have at school. >> We still have nothing. >> Well, we'll talk about that. >> No, I'm just >> like it compounds. >> Well, we're waiting to hear about the lottery system to see what that means. So, we don't know that yet. >> Yeah. This is all like we don't know where people getting >> what I'm
036doing is outlining how this will all play out >> what the roller coaster will look like in the terms. So we just have these have it in our in the back of our mind. >> We do need to have this. We need to understand that I'm going to give you a bad estimate of at least a six figure deficit for high school next year. That's my expectation. I hope I'm way wrong, but it makes sense to me that that's what it would be. But NFA charges us um >> a year out. >> Yeah. So this impact won't hit this year, but maybe the impact from the last year will. I mean, so it's a it's an odd way. And the fact that we don't do it all the same because the other schools don't charge
037us that way. This is more complex. >> So at the end of the day, we will get all this in together. My fear is if we're $100,000 in deficit at the high school level, that comes out of where? >> That's the way it works. That's how send works. So you just know that the following year is a much lower school number childwise. So it's also >> right seventh graders anomaly class, right? Yeah. There was only what like 12 or 15 >> but without without a surplus. So we don't carry a surplus here yet. >> Because we don't carry a surplus, you can't manage that. It doesn't no company can manage that. You can't manage. You can't decide to not pay your employees for a year because next year looks better. >> Doesn't work. So without
038a surplus, this is a continuous problem that we'll always face. You probably always have to face it. >> Um as budgets get tighter and Connecticut gets tighter like every other state. These money problems are not going to all of a sudden go away. And as you get smaller and declined enrollment, people think that makes it easier. It does not. Does not. Um, you have something here that I've never seen before at this level, which is absolutely stunningly wonderful. You don't want to lose it. That's your class size. You ever have 10 kids in your class? >> Yes, >> you have. >> And an AP class. >> But we're looking at crazy good numbers here. >> Yeah. >> And that kind of helps define the district. And the seventh graders being a smaller class, if we
039have a heavy NFA class, we wouldn't actually realize any budget for two years. >> So it doesn't exactly have. >> So really >> the second year, you're you could be in worse trouble than the first, right? >> Yeah. >> And then the third year, you might see some recruit, but again, without a surplus, you can't manage that. >> So the importance of a surplus with a district is massive. >> So I will finish with that in a second. I'm just leaving you up to that. Um, so I mentioned the other part of high school impact is also student services. >> Yeah, I was going to say if you have a somebody that comes into town that has one high school that has >> and that's the unknown part, but then we have the known parts.
040Yeah. Right. So you have the unknown and then the known the known part we know next year's >> cost for supporting our students at high school level with special needs. It's higher than this year's. >> So with those two things, the 100,000 that I'm suggesting I think is low estimate of our deficit. I'm hoping though something's roll our right way for kids to go to Ledger and Ellis Ellis and your witch, you know, open up the floodgates for us and they accept all the kids that want to go there. >> You know, those are helpful things. >> Is ledger is that a is that a state funded,000,000 very small? >> Yeah. and and and you know we'll get more into transportation but the reason you guys were looking at what you were looking at mostly
041why you why you would even consider giving up analysis is the cost of transportation and then marine science you send kids all the way >> to the ocean for school um but if we're able >> but if if we're able to have a transportation solution then you don't really need to do that right so playing with a whole bunch of things at the same time lot of balls in the air next few months and I'll get to that. But I want to go I want to finish with close strong with um you need a surplus. You cannot operate a system without a surplus. I don't even understand how in the world Connecticut operates this way. This makes no sense to me. Connecticut knows it makes no sense and therefore they changed the law that now
042allows districts to have a surplus. You actually passed a policy on this two years ago. didn't operate on it, but you have a policy that allows to do this. So, the policy is 3171.1 and it is called a non-lapsing education fund. That means at the end of a school year, if you do have some money left over because of things, the way things break sometimes like I got we have positions we didn't fill that are budgeted. We didn't film not because we didn't want to fill them, not because we overbudgeted. We didn't film. So, we have to do other things that aren't great, but we have to survive. If there's money at the end of the year, you're allowed to then place that money into a non-lapsing district fund. >> It can be used like
043a year. >> It's your money. >> Mhm. >> It can be used for anything within a framework of education. Is that interesting? >> Here's the way they put it. >> I think up to% >> I think up to 2% each year. moved it to other department. He like paid like I think he paid some oil and some like guilty out front. He always took the >> but all you're doing he did that because you're saying put it in it for a year. >> Yeah. So >> it's unpredictable to have to operate that way. But there was no law before that. So Adam had to operate that way, right? >> That's the way you had to do it. >> But they created this knowing that the way they were operating could not function was forever. >>
044You function with no surplus. your function with no revenue. >> I mean that that's not that doesn't work as well. So this is not about using revenue. It's about at the end of a year building up a surplus so that when you have a lean year that you can't is out of your control and you can't fix you can survive it. That's what this >> emergency fund >> like an emergency but it's not emergency but it's like that. Yeah. >> The difference with this fund and um an emergency fund, often emergency funds have very specific uh requirements to them. This fund, I'll read to you what it positive amount, not exceed 2%. So, so you can't go over your budget and 2%. You can't like at the end of the year put a million dollars
045away, right? It isn't it isn't a bank account to do that. Um I don't think we'll have anywhere near 2%, but if we have 10,000, it's 10,000, you know, whatever it is. Um, but every year you're allowed to put up to 2%. So it can accumulate to higher than 2%. >> But it can't you can't ever any one year do that. But any expenditure only for education purposes and the board has to has to act upon it. In other words, superintendent can't just decide, ah, time to go get those new chairs we've always wanted for his office. Um no it is a board driven expenditure you if if we do this it's very it has needs to be very transparent um um I am going to be working more on this um with the board's
046blessing all the only thing I need a blessing I don't need a motion for is um your permission for me to pursue this and you don't do this blindfold you don't do it without the town you don't do that so you work with the town now it's not the town's count this is different, but you don't operate that way. I never suggest you do that. You work with the T. Um, we have this a new selector here. He's a good guy. >> Where's Where did he leave the glass? Where do you leave the glass? >> Supposed to go. Um, but with the board's blessing, I will open the conversation um with Brian. >> You need motion? >> Nope. >> Just a blessing. Head nods. All I need and um that's it. I think this is
047I'm recommending you go this route. Um and but I want to do it right and transparently and behind closed doors. Yeah, I know we had talked about it when we obviously we had the policy established. It was it's been one of those kind of where it's where it's being used in other districts and no boards of finance love it because they can kind of like you know add it to one of their line items. Um it's still theirs to play with but they can allocate differently and it help them >> a little bit like fight for the school. This one they can't >> this account the town does not own at all. >> It used to. >> Yeah. Financing. >> Even with the board of finance doesn't matter how your doesn't matter how your township
048is set up the finances. >> The law is very clear on this specific issue. This is solely the decision of the board of education. >> So I think it's not going into like undesated. >> Right. I know it's like it's got to But it's it's I mean the money is essentially able instead of having to fill the oil tank right now, you can you can hold on to the $2,000 in case next year you have, you know, you need to replace. >> Remember, if you fill the oil tank with this year's money for next year, you're just putting a hole that has to be filled for the oil and then find money after that, right? >> That's all fun balance does. >> Where's this money held? Like is it held? >> We we open a
049bank account. That's where it's okay. >> I have a safe in the office. >> Well, I guess the question for direct. >> No, I would go through the town to open the account. I would say that's the other question that I would have when you talk to Brian would be like how is that audited by the like is it because I know >> it's actually it's actually also spelled out in >> its requirements >> but it's it's done by the the difference here it's not done by the town it is the board's responsibility but the town will still audit accordingly it has to all be audited every year >> that's part of the actual the way the policy is written >> it has to be audited every year so the town will do that the
050the only difference here is the town doesn't say, "Well, you saved 10,000 last year. Here's how I think you should spend it." >> You can have all those in the best of relationships. You'll have all those conversations anyway. Like, we don't need you to do that right now. We'll take care of this. We've never been able to say that because you have no money, >> right? >> You can't take care of anything. So, it's a little bit about self self um independence a little bit, but really it's about being transparent and making sure the money is being spent best way it can for the school and then according to what the town people want, >> right? So, >> I think it's easily followed in a town this size. I can see where it becomes a
051problem in a place like conesated money. >> This won't be gigantic money. Yeah. >> Well, you know, >> anything anything helps, especially the high school thing is is is really the is is a perfect demonstration of the need is what do you do when you have a bad year and you cover a bad year, >> Right. So, in this model, you'd cover the bad year with your surplus and then you'd know that the next year you try to build it again, but you're in better shape the next year. So that's >> and the same thing where we get special ed students in out of the blue, >> you know, maybe a big one. >> We had big one come in a couple years ago, 200,000 in the middle of the year. It was like, >>
052yeah, there's no solution for those things. >> Anyway, it sounds like good to go. >> Sounds good. >> In that case, that that's kind of where the budget's going to go. Um I'll start doing presentations um probably in late January, early February and those presentations be open to the full public. I'll advertise them and um really do I do I think I've shared this with you before even during the interview process I spend a lot of time educating the community on school budget and um for example things that uh if there's a 10% increase let's say in your health cost that's what do you do right so that's that's about the going rate 10 12% a year so you know if you have a $300,000 expense of $30,000 right there can't do anything and ours
053is higher than that. So it's more like $70,000 that's a teacher. So if you look at the things that must that must be paid your energy bills your health insurance are contract driven you're always going to be short you're always running a deficit and how we can work with that and I think people would want to see that we're working on the operation side and doing everything we can to make sure we're we're spending money the right way. Yeah, >> that's that section. >> Okay, so um next item under new business is the payroll statement. So as we had discussed this is um as you know I'll say it publicly um we when Crystal left uh to work for the town it had a vac at a vacant spot um we brought a new person
054in who's doing fantastic job and with a new person we wanted that person to be successful so we broke the job up it was a accounts payable and payroll and right now we've taken payroll out of the position and Darlina um has taken over payroll So Jolene is handling payroll and Kirstston is handling accounts payable and learning every day and she's fantastic employee founder here and um Darina to do this extra work the board would be agreeing to giving her a 500 site which is $6,000 I shared and prated when she started that was no discussion. Okay. So, it's the formality after the fact. >> And we have the funds in the budget because >> we have the funds in the Thank you. We have the funds in the budget because um Kirstson's uh not
055full-time. >> So, that's where the money came out for that and the money if you remember >> to also cover learn to help with the business management side of things we discussed as well. >> So, there's a a meeting scheduled for tomorrow where I'll have more after that meeting to let you know where that's going. All positive all directions. >> You need a motion. >> Yeah, we need a motion to authorize um the payroll statement of $500 per month to Dina Ranger retroactive from October 1st through June. >> Just this year. >> All in favor? I >> I heard motion passes. Thank you, Jo, for stepping up and adding us to your current duties. >> She's bored. She doesn't do much. >> Oh, that woman can't. >> What? >> So, >> she doesn't mean about
056like candy eating. >> Wow. >> Can we talk to her about that? >> Just share your thoughts through it. She'll listen. >> She enables you with all the candy on her desk. >> Go look at her desk. It's >> That's what I'm saying. She's enabling you. got it on recording. >> So the last item of new business um we place this on we have just this is a normal time of year where we do like to start the discussions of midyear evaluations. Um, I think when it comes to the board, um, we'll move we'll move this to exact session lightly just so we can discuss all the the highlights we have of Scott and make sure that we detail every day he's been here and all his performance too. But no, I um, but in
057terms of a board the board self-evaluation, we're going to just go over form, but really um, I think that I think it's a little um, premature with brand new members. just you know to to not even know how to to think about valuation but we'll just talk about that a little bit. So, um nothing nothing crazy there, but we'll just start the process. And that's it for item number D. And um before we conclude to move to executive session, just our next meeting um again is the 15th of January. Um and we will have special guests for that one. So, it's going to be a little bit more lengthy just for your for your planning purposes, but it's um the superintendent of of Ledger Public School and principal will be joining us to do um
058similar thing that we've done with other schools where they just give some, you know, overviews of the school and introduce themselves and their highlights of of their programming. So, >> he's really eager to do it. >> Yeah. Really, really positive response. >> Excited to to hear from them. Um, so so January 15th is the third Tuesday. Third Thursday. >> Do we need to do that, Scott? >> Yeah, because you're going to be gone. >> Yeah, >> January 15th. Yeah, >> the third. Yeah. Okay. Yep. So, it's to the >> correct. Yeah, I was just about to say that as well. So, we will be getting in some professional development with Nick Caruso. So, that's always a highlight two. >> That will be like you said, that'll be a longer meeting. >> Yeah. About two presentations,
059>> I would say. Yeah. Extra 8:30. >> Um, we want to take time with Nick clearly and hear what we can. Um, so I'll try to keep the other part of the agenda on a slimmer side. >> That was Kate's way of saying I'll ask God to not talk so much. >> You get to briefly talk about budget now. Um, no, it's a it's a good time of year. Obviously, it's the start of the new new year. We we'd like to to kick off the year well. And um I do love the idea of professional development just because it's great opportunity for our new members to I mean it's always great to hear from Nick Russo but anybody from Cave it's really an important time spent and um it's just a wealth of information so
060it's really great um and even including you know Scott's perspectives with great um but I um do want to wish everybody an amazing holiday season we're here we have the you know it's official now that we've had the little kids sing for us. I mean, it's it's really here, but um it does happen so fast. And I hope you guys get some some time off with your family and friends and have a nice celebration and happy holidays to everyone in the community. >> All right. Um so we will >> last thing is to make >> Sorry, do we need I always wonder if we have to do that. >> Yes, you do. >> A motion to move into executive favor. Don't we have to include the motion to invite superended? >> Right. You're not this
061time cuz we're going to review him. >> Okay. >> So, he is not invited. Sorry. >> I first did you want to be here or not? >> I know. >> I said, "Well, do you want to in the next one?" So, this is this is just free. >> But don't Amy in there. >> Okay. >> I stop. >> Oh, you got to do the motion. Yeah. All in favor? >> Sorry.